Cotton picker spindle assembly



July 19, 1955 w. A. DERMID 2,713,239

COTTON PICKER SPINDLE ASSEMBLY Filed July 1, 1954 INVENTOR WINF/EL D A,.1)E

ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 cer'rors Prensa SPINDLE ASSEMBLY Winfield A. Dermid, San Gabriel, Calif.

Application luiy 1, 1954, Serial No. 440,587

2 Claims. (Cl. 56-50) This invention relates to improvements in spindles employed in cotton picking machines and particularly is directed to an improved mounting and supporting means for such spindles.

In conventional cotton picker spindle assemblies, the spindles are carried by a tubular carrier which houses a drive shaft having axially spaced apart gears fixedly circumposed thereon and laterally aligned with openings in the outer wall of the carrier. Hollow spindle holding members are threaded at one of their ends into the openings and are interiorly provided with axially spaced 1 bearing sleeves, the sleeves being spaced apart to form an annular oil-receiving channel and the innermost sleeve having radial grooves in its outer end, which end is disposed within the carrier in communication with oil carrying passages therein. The innermost sleeve has an axial passage communicating the grooves and the channel and such grooves, passage and channel provide the means for lubricating the spindles which rotate within the sleeves. The outer ends of the hold ing members are provided with dust and moisture guards which are disposed concentrically of the spindles and fit over the outer end portions of the holding members.

the drive shaft, through gears on the inner ends of the spindles which mesh with the gears on the drive so that the needle portions wind the cotton there upon and extract it from the bolls.

it can be seen that it is essential that the spindles be properly and thoroughly lubricated by oil metered from the carriers since the efiicient winding of the cotton on the needle portions depends upon the proper rotation of the spindles. Another factor of particular importance in insuring the proper rotation of the spindles is the complete retention of the oil within the holding members so that the lubricant does not escape from the outermost ends of the spindle holding members. Additionally and in connection with the latter factor, it is important that moisture and dirt be positively excluded from entrance through the exposed outermost ends or" the spindle holding members. However, such exclusion of moisture and dirt must be effected in a way that will not impose any drag on the spindles or interfere -with the rotation thereof.

Therefore, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a novel bearing sleeve construction and a one-piece spindle holding member and to provide an improved lubricant supply and retaining means in the bearing s eeve so that the spindles will properly rotate in the holding members. Ancillary thereto, it is the object of this invention to dispense with the use of a conventional guard and to provide a novel sealing means at the outermost ends of the spindle holding mem bers and to shape the outer periphery of such outermost ends so that the cotton cannot be wound thereon or bear thereagainst in a manner to oifer resistance to the rotation of the spindles.

Thus, the present invention contemplates the provision of a hollow one-piece spindle holding member and a bearing sleeve which is fitted therein and which has its outer end spaced axially inward from the slightly inturned outer end of the holding member and the proision of a sealing ring between such spaced ends to seal the interior and prevent the escape of the lubricant and the admission of moisture and dirt, the main purpose of the device being to retain the lubricant in the spindle holding member to prevent oil from getting on the spindle. Thus, water with which the spindles are moistened adheres to the spindle more readily thereby greatly increasing the picking efiiciency of the spindle and at the same time improving the quality of the cotton being picked by keeping the oil out of the cotton.

The instant invention also contemplates the provision of a one-piece spindle holding member which has its outer end tapered and smoothly contoured so as to prevent cotton from winding thereon and is shaped so as to impose no drag on the spindles if the cotton rubs thereagainst.

These and ancillary objects are attained by this invention, the best known form of which is described in the following and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a spindle assembly, including the holding means therefor;

Fig. 2 is a similar view with parts broken away and shown in section;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a slightly enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bearing sleeve; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail longitudinal sectional View of the outer end of the spindle holding member, as shown in Fig. 2.

With continued reference to the drawing, the spindle assembly 10 is adapted to be attached to tubular carriers which are carried by a cotton picking machine. Such carriers are well-known and house drive shafts having gears fixed thereon and have openings for spindle holders. The spindle assembly it includes a onepiece hollow spindle holding member 12 which has an exteriorly threaded inner end 14 that is adapted to be threaded into one of the openings in the wall of a carrier. The member 12 has a circumferential faceted section 16 adjacent its inner end whereby a wrench can be used to thread the inner end into and out of the opening in the carrier. The faceted section 16 provides a rearwardly facing shoulder 18, disposed radially of the axis of the member and adapted to abut the free ends of collars that may define the openings in the carrier. The outer section 2i? of the member has a smooth outer periphery which is outwardly continuously tapered from a point slightly rearward or inward of its outer end to its outer end to provide an outer end portion 24 which is rearwardly and outwardly curved and is smooth and continuous. Thus, the outer diameter of the cylindrical member 12 is gradually reduced in a smooth taper from a point inward of its outer end to its outer end, such taper providing an end portion 24, which, considered from the outer end, evenly and continuously, curves rearwardly and outwardly. The outer end of the member is formed with an inturned annular lip 26 as shown in Fig; 2 for a purpose to be described.

Press fitted or otherwise fixed inside the member 12 and forming-a part ofthe spindle holding means is a sectional bearing sleeve 28, which is annular and is approximately equal in total axial extension to the member 12. The sleeve 28 is in two sections and has its outermost end section 30 spaced axially inward from the inturned annular lip 26 on the outer end of the member 12. The space defined thereby contains a sealing ring 32, which may be formed from neoprene or any other suitable material. The internal diameter of the ring is the same as the internal diameter of the sleeve and rotatably receives the cylindrical plain spindle 34 therewith.

The spindle 34 has a gear 36 formed integrally on 7 its inner end and the outermost face of the gear bears directly against .the axially projecting inner end 38 of the inner-section of the sleeve. Such end 38 extends beyond the member 12 and is formed with circumferentially spaced radial grooves 40 and is radially enlarged to fit on the inner end wall of the member 12. The grooves 40 are adapted to communicate with oil passages (of conventional nature) formed interiorly of the wall of the carrier. The grooves form a part of the lubrication system, which includes an axial slot or passage 42 formed on the internal wall of the inner end portion of the sleeve and extending from the inner end to a point slightly beyond the center thereof. At the termination point of the slot 42 an annular groove or channel 44 is formed in the inside of the sleeve by the axial spacing of the sleeve sections and defines an oil reservoir.

The spindle 34 has an integral needle portion 46 which extends axially beyond the outer end 26 of the member 12 and is formed in a conventional manner with barbs 48.

The axially spaced sections of the sleeve define the annular oil reservoir channel 44 which communicates with the axial slot 42 and the radial grooves 40 on the axially extending inner end of the inner end section of the sleeve communicate with conventional grooves in the carrier. Such elements constitute a lubricating system for lubricating the spindle and insuring proper rotation thereof in the member 12 which is fixed to the carrier.

The member 12 is simply constructedin one-piece and cooperates with the outer end of the outer sleeve section to provide a space for the seating of the sealing ring 32. The ring not only prevents the escape of the lubricating oil but also prevents the entrance of dirt and moisture inside of the member 12. The ring is particularly effective in preventing the entrance of water which is of paramount importance considering that water is constantly being applied to the needle portions. The construction of the members to receive the ring and the provision of the ring avoids the employment of conventional guards, which are separate elements, which necessitate securement to the exterior of the spindle holder or holding member and which often tend to impose a drag on the spindle.

The outer end of the member 12 is exteriorly shaped so as to prevent the cotton fibers from adhering thereto in a manner to impose a drag on the spindle. Such shape of the end is, therefore, of tremendous advantage in the proper rotation of the spindle so that the barbs efiectively grasp the cotton fibers and so that the fibers are properly'wound on the needle portions. It can be seen that the fibers cannot ride up over the end and pack on the member 12 and that fibers bearing against the end will contact a smooth surface that by its outwardly and rearwardly sloping curvature will tend to keep the fibers winding on the needle portion.

- While the best known form of this invention has been shown and described, other forms may be realized as coming within the scope of this invention, which is defined in the appended claims. 7

What is claimed is:

1. In a cotton picker spindle assembly, a unitary spindle holder for rotatably supporting a spindle on a spindle carrier comprising a cylindrical spindle holding member having an axial bore and opposing open inner and outer ends, said inner end being externally threaded for attachment in a threaded opening in a spindle carrier, wrench receiving means-externally formed on the member intermediate the ends thereof, a sectional bearing sleeve fitted in the bore and including an inner and an outer sectionspaced axially apart to provide an annular oil reservoir, said inner section having an annular, laterally outstanding flange on its outer end abutting the inner end of the member, said flange being provided with radial ports and said inner section having an axial slot communicating the reservoir with the ports and defining an oil passage means for oil flow from the carrier to the bore of the member, an inturned laterally extending annular lip on the outer end of the member of an internal diameter equal to the internal diameter of the bearing sleeve, said outer section of the bearing sleeve being spaced inwardly from the lip, a sealing ring fitted between said outer section and the lip, said holding member having the outer surface of its outer end smoothly formed and curved inwardly to the lip to provide a bearing end which will prevent the cotton fibers from winding up on the holding member in a manner so as not to impose a drag on the spindle.

2. In a cotton picker spindle assembly, a unitary spindle holder for rotatably supporting a spindle on a spindle carrier comprising a cylindrical spindle holding member having an axial bore and opposing open inner and outer ends, a bearing sleeve fitted in the bore and spaced from the outer end, said sleeve being formed with passage means forlubricating liquid, said member having a laterally inturned lip on its outer end, said lip having an internal diameter equal to the internal diameter of the bearing sleeve, a sealing ring fitted between the bearing sleeve and the lip, said member having the outer surface of its outer end smoothly surfaced and inwardly curved to the lip to provide a bearing end for preventing cotton fibers from winding up on the member in a way so as not to impose a drag on the spindle.

References Cited. in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

